Dressing Frames: Safety Pins

Materials:

Safety Pin Frame: 12” x 12” (30 cm x 30 cm); with 4 flaps of fabric pinned with safety pins
Small dish to hold closed safety pins
Safety Pin Preparation Exercise:
Small tray with 5 large safety pins and a pin cushion

Purposes:

Age: 3 ½ - 4

Preparation: The work with the safety pin preparation exercise is the preparation for the safety pin frame.

Vocabulary:

Safety Pin: to open, to close/to pin and to unpin, head of the pin, safety clasp, coil, pin, shaft

Presentation:

Preparation Exercise How to Open and Close a Pin

Invite the child and show them how to carry the material.
Sit with the child at the table.
Explain what each item is and what you will do.
Take a pin from the tray.
The right fingers grasp the coil of the safety pin so the cap is pointed to the left and the safety clasp is downward.
The left hand comes behind the safety pin and holds with the thumb on the pin and the index finger on the shaft.
Push the thumb upward and slightly toward yourself to release the pin
Show the child the opened pin
Indicate to the point of the pin and tell the child it is sharp.
Push the pin into the cushion.
Repeat for the rest.
Once all are in the cushion, with right hand, pull one out by the coil, pin down, cap up.
Explain what you will do.
Reach around the back of the pin with the left hand. Index finger on the shaft and thumb on the pin.
With the thumb, push the pin back into the safety latch.
Place the pin on the tray.
Repeat for all.
Invite the child.
Fade and observe

Unpin the Fabric (always begin with the preliminary exercise)

Invite one child for the lesson on safety pins.
Show the child the materials, how to pick up and carry the frame, return it to the shelf and allow the child to bring it to a table.
Set the frame on the table so the pin heads are pointing left, the top fabric flap opens to the right.
Explain what you will do and where you will put the pins.
Grasp the coil in the right pincher fingers and push it to the left as far as it will go.
Open pin as in the preparation exercise.
Pull the pin out.
Close the pin as in the preparation exercise and place it in the dish.
Repeat for all 4 pins

Pin the Fabric

Explain what you will do.
Take a pin by the coil with the right pincher fingers
With left fingers, pinch the top two pieces of fabric together at the top of the frame and pull up slightly.
Below the fingers to the right side of the edge of the fabric, push the pin through both layers until it touches the table.
Turn the pin upward and push left up through the fabric.
Push the pin to the left.
Close the pin as before by reaching behind the pin.
With left fingers, pinch the top two pieces of fabric together at the bottom and pull up slightly and repeat the pinning process.
Repeat in this way for the bottom fabric
Invite the child and encourage repetition.
Fade and observe.

Points of Interest:

Pedagogical Notes:

Dressing Frames: Boot Lacing